Iran President meets with Pakistan President in Turkmenistan’s capital – Mar21, 2013

The Iranian and Pakistani presidents have reaffirmed the two countries’ resolve to enhance their bilateral relations in different spheres.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari met on Thursday on the sidelines of the 4th International Norouz Festival on the occasion of the Persian New Year in Turkmenistan’s capital of Ashgabat.“Tehran and Islamabad enjoy ample potential to enhance the level of their cooperation in different sectors, particularly in energy and commercial transactions through which they can meet many of their needs,” Ahmadinejad said.Zardari, for his part, reiterated Islamabad’s determination to immediately implement the bilateral projects, particularly in energy sector, and noted that nothing can create an obstacle in the way of the promotion of Iran-Pakistan ties.On March 11, Iran and Pakistan officially inaugurated the final construction phase of multi-billion-dollar project Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline.Iran has already constructed more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its territory.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, in a meeting in Turkmenistan’s capital, explored avenues for the further expansion of the two neighboring countries’ relations.During the meeting held on Thursday on the sidelines of the 4th International Nowrouz Festival on the occasion of the Persian New Year in Ashgabat, the two presidents renewed Tehran and Islamabad’s determination to enhance bilateral relations in different fields.“Tehran and Islamabad enjoy ample potential to enhance the level of their cooperation in different sectors, particularly in energy and commercial transactions through which they can meet many of their needs,” President Ahmadinejad said.Zardari, for his part, reiterated that nothing can create an obstacle in the way of the promotion of Iran-Pakistan ties.Iran and Pakistan have always had very close and intimate relations throughout the history.The two countries exchange delegations on a regular basis and their leaders are resolved to further accelerate expansion of ties and cooperation between the two neighboring nations.In March, the two countries officially inaugurated the construction phase of a gas pipeline project which is due to take Iran’s rich gas reserves to the energy-hungry South Asian nation.The project kicked off in a ceremony attended by Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart at the two countries’ shared border region in Iran’s Southeastern city of Chabahar.The 2700-kilometer long pipeline was to supply gas for Pakistan and India which are suffering a lack of energy sources, but India has evaded talks. In 2011, Iran and Pakistan declared they would finalize the agreement bilaterally if India continued to be absent in the meeting.According to the project proposal, the pipeline will begin from Iran’s Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the south and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sindh but officials now say the route may be changed if China agrees to the project.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari in a meeting underlined the need for bolstering and reinvigoration of mutual cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad.During the meeting on the sidelines of the Fourth International Nowrouz Festivities in the Turkmen capital of Ashkhabad on Thursday, President Ahmadinejad and President Zardari said that they are determined to upgrade the level of their diplomatic ties.President Ahmadinejad pointed to the historical and cultural commonalities between Iran and Pakistan, and said, ‘Tehran and Islamabad can meet many of their demands by utilizing their abundant potentials for mutual cooperation in different sectors, especially in the energy and trade fields.’The Pakistani president, for his part, underscored his country’s determination for swifter implementation of joint projects between the two countries, especially in energy sector, and said, ‘No parameter can impede the existing will and determination for routine improvement of mutual cooperation between the two countries.’